We have made it to October, which means that I missed the 1 year post for E and the 2 year post for AJ. I have no excuses, but life goes on and here we are; so let's get started.
E turned 1 year old last month and I am coming to grips with the 2 toddler thing. She is walking and jabbering and climbing and squealing! She is simply a happy kiddo whose only complaint is teething and exhaustion. I am so grateful for the way that she shows love and cuddles with me when she is sleepy. E also learns quickly and AJ is teaching her how to climb. Right now it's on my yoga block, strewn about boxes and their picnic table.
AJ is 2! I am floored by how quickly these stages are going. She tells me when she needs to poop (yeah, that's a big deal), she's in a twin bed now (which is going great at bed time - not so much with the afternoon nap), and she prefers cakes to cookies ;) She also likes pizza. AJ has such an independent spirit and loves to help PJ and I get things done. It is so humbling to see how much she knows and understands and exciting to grow as a mom teaching her how to serve others.
This weekend my mom is throwing them a Little Mermaid themed birthday party and I'm excited to take photos of the frosting all over their faces! The girls love all of their grandparents and it melts my heart to see their smiles and hear their squeals whenever they see any of them walk through the door. We all joke about how it's because, "toddlers know they can get away with a lot more when they have grands around," but I know that it is so much more than that. My girls have a beautiful bond with their grandparents and I see it in their eyes even when our parents are not around. AJ asks for them and they yearn to spend time together. It truly is precious.
As far as life goes, things have been going really well. I am at the gym 4-5 times a week. Team Training is 2-3 times and I like to swim laps on the weekends. It has been so awesome to feel the progress and see the numbers climb for personal bests. I feel more energetic and see how God is using my fitness goals to grow me in self-control, diligence, discipline and endurance. You can read more on my fitness blog, I won't take up too much space here on the family page.
PJ is doing great at work. I am so proud of his team, and I know he is too. In the past, vacation has been a headache to come back from because things have backed up and the technicians were overwhelmed without him there. Last week we were on official vacation, but he actually left work early on Friday and was gone from his store a total of 9 days. He went back to a great setup and there were no crises while he was out. I do not even remember him receiving a call but once while he was off.
God has been so faithful to soften my own heart and help me put things into perspective this week. I typically dread the end of vacation because that means I am back at home without help throughout the day and I do not get to have as much time to myself. I feel selfish for wanting so much time to myself, but that's where I'm at. The Lord has given me an extra measure of His patience and grace as AJ is bed training and having a difficult time harnessing the freedom during her only nap of the day. E has developed preferences for food and has not been eating as well as she was before; also, she is still using the bottle as a pacifier and takes 2 per day.
As much as I feel like she could probably go down to 1, I'm having trouble letting it go because the 1st is in the afternoon and I think it helps her sleep even though AJ delays that nap. Also, I am putting off potty training because I simply don't want to deal with it. I am being real, here. I know it has to happen, but I will likely wait until after Thanksgiving so PJ can help for her first week.
All that to say, I am so grateful for the Lord's constant provision and faithfulness to help us through every milestone. Thank you all who have been praying for us, I know that has been a HUGE impact for us. We are so grateful for the church family and our families He has surrounded us with.
